Earlier in the day, Serbian law enforcement officers prevented the smuggling of 44 migrants, including Afghan, Iranian, Iraqi and Syrian citizens.

“Afghan citizens A.B.J. (1995), A.S. (1980) and P.S. (1998), who had organized reception of migrants and their crossing the border, were detained, on suspicion of illegal border crossing and people smuggling,” the statement said.

According to the statement, police officers handed the detained over to the prosecutor’s office in the northern Serbian city of Subotica.

Europe is currently facing a major refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of migrants attempting to reach wealthy EU member states through various routes, including via Italy, Greece, Turkey and the Balkan states. Despite Brussels’ efforts to curb the migration influx, many people still continue their efforts, usually illegal, to reach the European Union.